Law to establish a Community Preservation Fund signed

After six years of waiting, the Town of Chester has gained approval from the state to create a Community Preservation Fund. The fund will allow the town to dedicate money to open space projects.

Financed by a tax on real estate transactions in the town, the fund will require a referendum on the town ballot sometime in 2026. Supervisor Brandon Holdridge told The Chronicle that the fee will be less than 1%, although he did not know the exact amount.

Community leaders and lawmakers gathered at Knapp’s View in Chester on Oct. 27 to announce the passage of the law. State Assemblyman Brian Maher credited Holdridge with lobbying Gov. Holchul to sign the law and also Sen. James Skoufis for taking time to advocate for bill with the state assembly.

“I can’t put into words how aggressive Supervisor Holdridge was,” Maher said. “He was an absolute force.”

“This is a huge day for the town,” said Councilman Robert Courtenay, who held a press conference urging state passage of the bill five years ago. “We moved the road block.”

Holdridge said that the fund was one of the first things he’d heard about when he became politically active. He pointed out that Warwick has had a similar law for 20 years and it has been used to great effect.

“The Community Preservation Fund that can be used to acquire development rights of open space, parklands, farmlands, trail rights-of-ways, agricultural and conservation easements, stewardship planning, recreational development, and preserving historic sites,” a press release from the town noted.

Livey Schwartz of the Chester Greens was credited by Holdridge for lobbying for the bill. Schwartz said he called assemblymembers in Brooklyn who had been opposed to it.

“By the time I took office as a freshman Town Councilman in 2022, many were pessimistic of the bill ever making it through the bureaucratic gauntlet,” Holdridge stated via a press release. “I made it my mission to work with anyone and as long as it took to make this dream a reality. A coordinated effort from local organizations and residents advocating for its passage, as well as support from Sen. Skoufis and Assemblyman Maher in the N.Y. State Legislature, all helped to get the bill across the finish line.”